Walking? Make it a contest

By L.M. Sixel |
April 23, 2013

Humana passed out pedometers, such as those at left, to Shell Houston Open spectators to encourage participation in a contest to see which PGA-tournament city could log the most miles.

Photo By Courtesy of Humana

Box of pedometers handed out by Humana at the Shell Houston Open.

Last year, Humana passed out pedometers to the spectators at the Shell Houston Open, hoping they'd use the counters to launch a walking regimen.

The insurance company decided to up the ante this year. Not only would the company give out the free pedometers, but it also would launch a contest to see which of the 12 cities hosting PGA Tour golf tournaments this year has the most aggressive hoofers.

The program is a fun way to focus on changing health and wellness behaviors, said Marvin Hill, national public relations manager for Humana in Louisville, Ky., who came to Houston for the event.

The golf spectators already are on the golf courses to watch and walk, said Hill. "So why not use that occasion to actually track what you're doing?"

Once you start to track steps, it really changes your attitude and motivation, said Hill, whose favorite golfer is Tiger Woods. He recommends a goal of 10,000 steps a day, which works out to about five miles a day.

You figure: "Wow, it's 6 p.m. and I only have 500 steps to go, so let me walk the dog."

Humana distributed 3,537 pedometers during the recent Shell Houston Open. Over the four-day event, the spectators who slapped the pedometers to their waistbands logged a total of 4,754,481 steps.

The next tournament to get the pedometers is the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which ends today.

But the cities won't know the winner until October when the steps are tallied following the President's Cup in Columbus, Ohio.

The winning city will get a multigenerational playground, which, in addition to the usual slides and swings for children, will include fitness bars and stationary bicycles for seniors.

It also will feature walking paths that circle the playground, said Hill. "It gives the whole family a chance to work out and be together."